On Thursday, the Minnesota Timberwolves fell in Game 5 to bow out of the playoffs. It was a blowout, and it all happened in front of a dismayed Target Center. Anthony Edwards finished his last game of the season with 28 points, but it was far from enough to withstand the onslaught of the Dallas Mavericks. In the aftermath of it all, Edwards pointed out what went wrong for the Timberwolves.

“We never clicked all together as a team in this series, not even one game,” Edwards said. “I think that was the main thing. On the last two series, we were all clicking at one time, making shots and stuff. We weren't clicking at one time now.”

Alongside Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns also had 28 points of his own. However, both stars received no help. No other player on the Timberwolves' roster scored in double digits. The team's three other starters combined for just nine field goals scored. Additionally, the bench wasn't doing any better either.

Perhaps the biggest catalyst for the loss was how Minnesota — the league's leading defensive team — allowed Luka Doncic to score 20 points in the first quarter. The Mavericks ended the first 12 minutes with a 35-19 advantage, and they would stay in front for the rest of the way. At one point, the Timberwolves trailed by as much as 36.

The Timberwolves' troubling Western Conference Finals 

Going back to Edwards' comment about not clicking together, this was indeed seen in many of the previous games. The only time Minnesota played well together was Game 4. All five starters finished in double figures, with Edwards and Towns leading the way. The same could not be said about the first three games, however.

In Game 3, Edwards had 26 points, and the majority of his supporting cast were able to contribute well. However, it was Towns who struggled, going just 5-of-18 (27.8%) from the floor while missing all his eight attempts from downtown.

In the first two games, both Antman and KAT couldn't find any rhythm. In contrast, the rest of the Timberwolves played their part. During Game 2, Edwards and Towns finished with just 21 and 15 points, respectively. Naz Reid was the highest scorer with 23 points while Mike Conley added 18. As for Game 1, it was the same story, with Minnesota's stars failing to eclipse the 20-point mark, resulting in Jaden McDaniels as the leader in points (24 points).

Nevertheless, this ordeal is a learning experience for Anthony Edwards. He's only 22 years old, and he'll surely be making more noise in the years to come. And despite the loss, coupled with the ongoing noise from his naysayers, nothing has deterred Antman's confidence. He knows he's a star, and he knows what his team is capable of.

“We'll be back next year,” Edwards declared after Game 5.